iPad's dominance in the UK starting to slip, poll says

Apple's grip on British tablet buyers is slipping, according to the latest figures from YouGov.

In the first three months of 2012, 73 per cent of Brits buying tablets opted for an Apple-flavoured slate. A year later, Apple is still dominant, but the number has fallen to 63 per cent. Samsung, Amazon, and Google are all gaining on the Cupertino company.

Samsung's share has jumped from 4 per cent to 10 per cent, while Amazon's has gone from 0 to 5 per cent. Google's, meanwhile, is up from 0 to 8 per cent. (The zeroes reflect a very small number of people, rather than no one in the UK at all.) Other brand tablets fell from 23 per cent to 14 per cent.

According to the poll, us Brits rate Samsung's Galaxy range of products equal to the iPad in terms of quality, with the exception of the iPad mini. The mini is stealing our hearts, earning a 4 per cent market share just a few months after launch. It was also awarded the highest satisfaction score overall, as well as coming top in eight out of the nine quality attributes.

Slate ownership is up across the board, with 18 per cent of UK adults toting a tablet. That's more than 8 million of us. Last year that number was just 5 per cent.

Add to the recent figures saying more people use BBC iPlayer on a tablet than a smart phone, and it's clear we Brits are addicted to bigger portable devices.

John Gilbert, the consulting director of YouGov technology and telecoms, said in a statement that it wasn't just cheaper competitors stealing Apple's thunder. "It seems that Apple no longer has a monopoly on the 'premium' share as other brands emerge with near-equal satisfaction scores. Given the market's current expectations and considerations in purchasing tablets, we anticipate Apple to lose additional share throughout the coming year to Samsung, Google and Amazon."

Are rival companies doing enough to challenge the iPad's dominance? What's your slate of choice? Let me know in the comments, or on Facebook.